Construction Details:

We're not going to talk about the funds I sank into these costumes. We're just not going to. In retrospect, I am so glad I didn't attempt making these in 2005. All the patterns were drafted/draped. The surcoat is a black stretch velvet accented with a white silk jacquard--I initally was using silk velvet, but the weight/drape of it was all wrong. The cloak is 3.5 yards of green silk velvet lined in silk dupioni with a sari border. Fur is vintage mink with hand stitched ermine tails.

Personal Thoughts:

Where to start on these costumes? Okay, so way back in October 2004 I picked up a copy of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. I had taken a couple year hiatus from gaming until mid-2003, so I was about a year behind on new releases. I started playing it on and off intermittently until finally I picked up the strategy guide that I never used in EB Games because I had always loved the artwork of Ayumi Kojima and at that time it was really nearly impossible to find good reference material for cosplay. After perusing the artwork, I decided to restart the game and actually play through the entire thing. I spoiled myself on the ending, the twist as it were, pretty early on--as if no one actually saw that coming, except Leon. Poor naive Leon, lol.--but being a kind of weirdly sympathetic Dracula fan, Mathias ended up being one of my favourite video game characters--okay, my favourite, I'll just admit it. Early 2005 I started making tentative plans to cosplay from the game, originally I'd really loved Joachim's design and toyed around with that, but life happened, I went through a weird relationship with a cheating douche bag, ended up making my first ill planned attempt at Alucard instead. Shortly after wearing Alucard I started kind of turning my attention toward making Mathias as a friend was planning to cosplay Leon. I didn't. This continued on for a few years when another two friends both wore amazing Leon Belmont and Joachim Armster costumes. I, again, didn't get around to making Mathias. This cycle continued on for years. So for a decade I've been planning this costume. I actually have fabric and notions at my parents' house for this costume that are probably stored away in boxes. Late 2014 my sometimes cosplay partner Thyrza said we needed to finally cosplay Lament, possibly at MAGFest. I got excited, then mostly forgot about it until MAGFest passed b/c I got kittens, and then the holidays, and who has time for cosplay. We decided that we definitely needed a winter con at which to wear these. So began my overly ambitious goal to make two eloborate Castlevania costumes in less than a month. Only these costumes, I would only have done this, made this ridiculous effort for these costumes. Let me tell you about my Castlevania feelings. Let me tell you about my Mathias Cronqvist feelings. 11th century knights and vampires, it was practically tailored to my interests.

Sorry, you must be a registered user of and logged in to view and add comments. Either log in or register now!